February 2020: Field Notes

The month of February began with sunshine, and a goal to get out into it as much as I could. 

February 1, 2020, 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/1: The sunshine, though brief, was extra welcome after a particularly cloudy January, and it was good to get out to the woods and paint. The early afternoon light shone on a wild apple tree, and the sun cast blue shadows across the deep snow.

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February 2, 2020, 10 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/2: A birch tree in the woods. The sun sank behind thin clouds to the west, softening the contrasts and colors of the evening landscape.

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February 4, 2020, 7 x 5" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/4: Trying to escape the bite of the north wind, I found myself returning to the shelter of the orchard. As usual, the deer had made themselves at home there, and the snow around the trees was crisscrossed with their tracks.

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February 5,8, 10 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/5 (and 2/8): Further snow-study. I loved the strong blue that seemed to envelop the snow- and tree-covered slope in shadow, while the soft evening sunlight lingered on the stones and oak tree that occupy the corner of the hillside pasture. It was a bit more than I could manage in the short time I had before the sun set, and I returned to the same place a few days later to wrestle with it a little longer.

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February 6, 2020, 10 x 8" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/6: Golden light, the moon rising over the old oak tree, and the shadow of the hill slowly climbing as the sun sets.

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February 8, 2020, 5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/8: Small, cold, color studies, as the sun set and the full moon rose above the tree tops.

February 8, 2020, 7 x 5" plein air oil on linen/birch.

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February 11, 2020, 10 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/11: On a west-facing hillside, facing the sun. Hickory and oak trees, blue shadows, 

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February 15, 2020, 8 x 6" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/15: The sun setting behind me gave so much color to the snow and the tangle of vines at the base of these trees.

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February 17, 2020, 7 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch. Sold.

2/17: Painting in the field, watching approaching snow showers, the afternoon sun occasionally visible through the clouds.

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February 22, 2020, 11 x 14" oil on linen/hardboard.

2/22: I received a box of lemons from California in the mail and they were too pretty not to paint, their bright yellow next to the blue-tint of an old canning jar from my Grandma's kitchen.

February 22, 2020, 6 x 8" oil on linen.

And one more quick study, just for fun.

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February 24, 2020, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch.

2/24: A layer of thin clouds made for subtle light and color at dusk. Snow and scrappy trees.

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February 29, 2020, 14 x 11" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

2/29: Leap-day painting. The day had been a persistent grey, and I began my painting with a plan to focus on the dark water and soft color shifts of a cloudy day. I had just sketched out the rough shapes of the scene when I looked up to see blue sky, and the last trace of cloud quickly disappearing. My footprints in the snow caught bright sunlight, and the creek changed from slate to deep blue.

My grey-day painting was ruined, but I can't say it was a complete loss. :)

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Plein Air Hudson 2018

Mid-August brought me to Hudson, Wisconsin for the 3-day Plein Air Hudson outdoor painting event. It was a weekend of cloudy skies and hazy sunshine.

Friday, August 17.

My first painting was in an alley off of Walnut Street. I was drawn to the shapes and lines of the buildings in the alley and the subtleties of color found there - the grays of the street and the weathered shed, surrounded by summer greenery with the darker trees in the background.

Alleyway Gray, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch.

Later, I met up with a couple of artist friends who were painting the falls in Willow River State Park. I stayed long after they had finished up, working on my own interpretation of this place of rock and water. It is a popular spot in summer, though I didn't incorporate any figures into my piece.

On the Rocks, Willow Falls; 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch

Saturday, August 18.
 Painting number 3: I wrestled with roof angles, loving the grasses and vines surrounding these outbuildings on a farm in Houlton. (Thank you to the folks who live here and were so gracious to the invading artists who painted on and around the farm that day!) This piece received an honorable mention from judge Joshua Cunningham at the opening.

Farm King, 11 x 14" plein air oil on linen/birch.

 I began this painting as dusk fell and the sun disappeared in the haze across the river. Lights began to glow in the dim; my eyes were drawn down the street past the facades of the buildings to the trees of the park. The light failed before I was satisfied, and I returned the next night to finish up a few things - like making the parked cars look a little more like cars and less like a large caterpillar sitting by the curb! I enjoyed this one.

Weekend on Walnut St., 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

Sunday, August 19.

 A little study of the trees along a quiet spot near where the Willow and St. Croix rivers meet.

8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch.

Later in the afternoon the sky clouded over again. I painted near a friend, and it was nice to have another set of eyes every once in awhile to give feedback and help work out problems in the painting. The clouds held my attention as they drifted above the dark trees along the river.

Cloudy Sunday, 14 x 11" plein air oil on linen/birch sold

Monday evening held the opening at the Seasons on St. Croix Gallery - they do a great job, and it's a grand time filled with appreciation of art and nature and architecture, and some wonderful and meaningful conversations and connections.

And then, how good to be home again.

A few days later I did my final paintings for the month of August, out by the orchard, along a field taken over by goldenrod and milkweed.

Milkweed, 7 x 5" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

Hillside Goldenrod, 5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. sold

Snow Studies

10 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch.

 January 18

In the woods as afternoon turned to evening. Snow clung to the moss-covered bark of an old oak tree on the hillside.

8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/birch.

January 19

Winona, Minnesota, on the campus of Saint Mary's University. I set up, troll-like, under a footbridge to paint the still water of the creek that cuts through the woods.

Two 5 x 7" plein air oil paintings on linen/birch. sold

January 21

I took myself for a Sunday drive after church through a landscape of filtered sunlight, fog, and frost. By the time I reached this spot in the marsh the sun was disappearing behind incoming clouds and the fog had dissipated. It was a beautiful, quiet spot to observe the textures and colors of the bluffs and lowlands on a winter afternoon. It was a wide view, and the little panels I had along to paint on just didn't seem to cut it, so I painted two of them together.

9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch.

January 25

Footprints and drifts along the field-road. Grays and blues in sky and snow, soft shadows and the sun setting behind a cloud bank to the west.

7 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch.

January 26

A thaw turned steep hillsides into waterfalls and all the ditches and gullies into streams of melted snow, stained by fallen leaves. The dogs, chasing tracks and trails up and down hill, occasionally remembered my existence and returned to me to be told what good dogs they were before running off again.

Shortly after I painted the reflections, water broke through the ice and snow farther up the hill and the little stream widened and foamed as it rushed on down towards the valley. 

September Bluffs

September holds both the Driftless Area Art Festival, and the Plein Air Between the Bluffs painting event - both celebrating the beauty and art of the region. It seems fitting then that many of my paintings this month have been especially focused on the bluffs and valleys of this corner of the Driftless Region. Here are some of my September oil paintings:

A Change in the Air, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. September 4th. sold

 This first one was painted in Alma, Wisconsin. The trees near the water already showing their fading greens and hints of fall color. The weather that afternoon cycled through soft sunshine, rain, and gusts of wind. It was beautiful.

Evening on the Ridge, 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/birch. September 8th.

 This little bluff and river painting was the first I did for the Between the Bluffs event, which is centered in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This was done across the Mississippi river on the Minnesota side, as evening fell.

Worn Wood and Sunshine, 10 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. September 12th.

As part of the La Crosse event, I agreed to be one of the demonstrating artists - doing one painting at a set time and place for anyone who cared to watch. I'd not done this before, and frankly it can be a bit intimidating having people watch as the painting comes together! But it was fun; thanks to everyone who stopped over as I painted this beauty of an old barn.

Then I had to take a break from painting for a bit as I finished up all the little and big things that go into preparing for an art fair. The Driftless Area Art Fair is a gem. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and made it so special!

My booth at the Driftless Festival, day 1.

 Then it was back to painting for the last few days of the Between the Bluffs event:

Shadows on the Bluffs, 8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. September 19th.

A hot September afternoon, watching the shadows from the clouds drift across the bluffs, and the breeze blow the willows and leaves on the small poplars that grow in the marshy lowland. (I was so happy to receive the "Spirit of La Crosse" award on this piece from judge Scott Lloyd Anderson at the opening reception!)

Down in the Valley, 8 x 10" oil on linen/birch. September 19th and 20th.

I began this painting the same night, but it was late. I liked that color on the bluffs that were lit by the setting sun, but I just didn't have the time to get the painting to where I wanted it to be. The following night I returned to the same spot and refined it a little bit more.

Afternoon in the Woods, 9 x 12" oil on linen/birch. September 20th. sold

It was warm down in the woods and damp too, despite the dry weather. I had my easel wedged against a tree, with only its back leg set up, to keep it from sliding down the steep hillside, as I sought to capture the varying greens looking down towards the valley.

5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. September 22nd.

This last one was a little painting done for a couple who used to live in this area, but have moved elsewhere. I little reminder of the bluffs and valleys. I loved the light at that time of day!

July, in paint

Humid days and cut hay. Storms and sunshine. Thundershowers and wildflowers.

Evening Light, Northside Woods - 10 x 8" plein air oil on linen/birch.

July 1st. It gets dark much sooner down in the woods, and I didn't start as early as I would have liked. But the light was so beautiful among the trees on this north bluffside. I painted quickly, trying to capture a bit of the late light before darkness fell, and the coyotes began to howl.

*****

July Hay - 6 x 8" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

July 5th. Another late evening start. The sky showed pink, reflecting the colors of the sunset to the west, and the drying hay and small square bales caught the warm light.

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Hay Day - 11 x 14" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

July 7th. The weather looked uncertain - now dark and piling clouds, now sunshine. I set up with a good view of the sky in case it turned stormy. The patterns of the rows of hay and the contours of hillside fields are always beautiful to me, as is the fragrance of the cut grass, clover, and alfalfa drying in the heat of the day.

 As I finished up, the clouds were breaking apart, and I did this little study of the moon rising in the dusky sky.

In the Still of the Evening - 5 x 7" plein air oil on linen/birch. 

*****

Between Storms - 10 x 8" plein air oil on linen/birch.

 July 20th.  It was a warm, sticky evening. Patches of the long grass had been knocked over by the previous night's storm. I was surrounded by the sounds of tree frogs and the frogs from the nearby pond, and occasionally the sounds of startled deer. Everything was wet with dew as I finished up at dusk.

*****

Pennycress - 12 x 10" alla prima still life. Oil on linen/birch.

July 25th. Indoor painting day. I got this lovely vase from Cheesbro Pottery earlier this year, and it was perfect for holding a bunch of pennycress that I'd pulled out of the fields and that had dried, with its many seedpods arranged on its delicate stems.

*****

Old Gold - 6 x 8", plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

July 27th. A little study of weathered wood and yellow blooms.  I don't know what these flowers are actually named, but I always heard them called "Showers-of-Gold". They have been growing here for many, many years. The old building is the known as the summer kitchen, and has "1895" written inside the door. Old beauty.

*****

Poplars in the Pasture - 8 x 10", plein air oil on linen/birch.

 July 28th. Dusk in the pasture. Wild carrot and yarrow flowers, and two slender poplar trees.

*****

Pepin Cloud Study - 5 x 7", plein air oil on linen/birch.

 July 31st. Little studies of the sky, the bluffs, and the Mississippi River. The first was done in Pepin, Wisconsin. A warm breeze blew off the water, as the clouds shifted and made threats of rain on their way past.

 The second was done at the Garvin Heights Lookout in Winona, Minnesota. (A popular spot, it seems, for both man and mosquito!) It's a beautiful view over the city and the water. Though I'd planned to try a sunset paint, I instead faced the other direction, loving the mood and atmosphere looking downriver towards rain.

Rain Across the River - 8 x 10", plein air oil on linen/birch.

 *****

Red Wing Plein Air - 2017

Tuesday, June 20th

Hello again, Red Wing!

After checking in at the Depot Gallery and getting a bunch of panels stamped for the event, I drove up to Memorial Park on Sorin's Bluff, which has a great view looking over the city, and is a perfect place for watching the sun set.

Painting a view like this is very different from what I usually paint, and trying to simplify all the shapes and colors of the houses and buildings and trees below was a big challenge for me. I liked the slanting shadows that could be seen across the street below, the bright greens of the trees and the clearing on the west end of Barn Bluff, and the long view over to Wisconsin in the distance.

June 20, 2017. Summer Begins in Red Wing - 12 x 9" oil on linen/hardboard

Wednesday, June 21st.

Hiking up to the top of Barn Bluff with an easel and bag full of gear on my back isn't exactly enjoyable, but once at the top it is so worth it. The Prairie Trail wends its way through blowing grasses and wildflowers to the eastern tip of the bluff, which overlooks the head of Lake Pepin.

I've painted here before, and this time I brought an 8 x 16 panel to paint, to capture more of the wide view. 

Half-way into blocking in color.

I really enjoyed working out in paint the shapes and patterns of the river here. A beautiful puzzle.

Worth the Hike - 8 x 16" oil on linen/hardboard. June 21, 2017

Notes for next time: Eat a bigger breakfast - cheddar crackers just don't cut it. Wear sunscreen - the wind may make using a hat or umbrella difficult.

Favorite overheard story while painting: "Grandma was smart to bring him up here! No wonder Grandpa fell in love with her!"

Dinner with some of my favorite painters, and then back out. I headed to Wacouta, where I also did some painting and exploring last year. Looks like the fields were planted with rye again - so pretty! And there was something very homey to me in the subtle, sweet fragrance of the field in the evening.

I walked down a little ways on Rattlesnake Bluff Trail to get closer to this corner with its contrast of shadow and light on the standing grain.

Around the Bend - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. June 21, 2017

 Thursday, June 22nd.
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.
A soggy, gray day. Artist Jim Turner suggested we go paint at Kelly's Taphouse, as we'd seen a good viewpoint from their patio the day before. They were so gracious and let us move tables and chairs and set up our easels to get almost out of the rain. It was so wet and humid that Jim's watercolors wouldn't dry! My oils worked out a bit better. The rain came and went and came again, but all the moisture in the air lent a nice depth to the scene of boat houses and Barn Bluff. Of course, I like my trees, and these two stood out so full and sharp in the wet weather.

100% Chance of Rain - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. June 22, 2017 sold

Late evening the clouds finally began to break, and I tried to capture a bit of that standing under Maiden Rock and looking out over Lake Pepin. When I was nearly finished, the sun broke through just before setting and the whole sky and river was aflame with pinks and orange and gorgeousness. I may have to attempt that scene in a studio painting in the future!

Departing Rain over Point-No-Point - 8 x 16" oil on linen/hardboard. June 22, 2017

Friday, June 23rd.
Headed out painting with Jim again, but I left him painting what would become an award winning piece, and backtracked to visit these cattle I'd seen on the way. This time of year is so green in Minnesota, but there are still a lot of variations and I want to be able to show the richness of the landscape without making it boring. There is always a lot to learn.
The clouds began moving in as the day progressed, and their shadows moved across the growing corn in the field beyond the pasture.

Noon at the Watering Hole - 10 x 8" oil on linen/hardboard. June 23, 2017

In the afternoon I ended up at Flower Valley Vineyard on Orchard Road. I'd driven past this barn before and knew I wanted to paint it. The dark clouds moving through set off its red sides nicely. It was built in 1872, and has beautiful stonework and narrow horizontal boards; barn swallows nest under its eaves.

The weather alternated between rain and sunshine, with occasional umbrella-flipping wind gusts.

One Hundred Forty-Five - 8 x 10" oil on linen/hardboard. June 23, 2017

Friday evening we all turned in three framed paintings to be hung for the show, and had a little gathering with the artists and arts association volunteers (and food!) which was really nice.

Saturday, June 24th.

Quick paint from 9 to 11 am! The sun came out just in time. The wind blew out of the north and it was surprisingly cold for a June day. Half-way through painting I ran back to my car to grab a sweater - it's hard to paint a straight line in the first place without adding shivering to the mix!

This spot is just across the street from the depot, and it always catches my eye. I liked how the morning light caught the wind-blown trees and grasses and made them stand out against the dark background of old brick.

Quick paint on my easel. A Little Wild Place - 8 x 10" oil on linen/hardboard.

This year's judge was Joshua Cunningham. I became acquainted with him and his work the first year that I was part of this event - in 2011 - and have been a fan ever since. He did a demo in the afternoon, through occasional spits of rain and amidst a mostly shivering crowd of onlookers, who sometimes left to go find jackets or coffee. It was great to watch his painting develop and have a chance to ask questions. 

My four paintings in the show.

I was surprised and so very grateful to receive Best of Show for my painting "Worth the Hike"!

I had a great time in Red Wing painting, and meeting and reconnecting with some wonderful people while there. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen, and to those of you who stopped by the opening! The show will be up till July 30th, 2017. Stop in and see all the new work, and pick out your own favorites. :)